7 missing China crew have virtually no chance of survival: rescuers

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-17 01:48

HANGZHOU: The seven crew members still missing off east China coast had virtually no chance of survival, rescuers said Monday.

High waves forced rescue ships to return to a port in Taizhou City in the eastern province of Zhejiang in the mid-afternoon, Guo Wenbiao, a rescue ship captain said.

Nine crew members on the fishing boat Minxiayu 706 fell into waters off the Dachen Island, Taizhou, at 11 pm Saturday after their boat sunk following collision with a Belize-registered freighter. Only two have been rescued.

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Local maritime authorities have dispatched dozens of rescue ships and fishing boats to expand the search area within 10 nautical miles radius from the scene.

Professional salvage experts will join the search on Tuesday, the Taizhou maritime bureau said.

CAIM OCEAN, a 1,482-tonne freighter, is owned by Weihai Anyang International Ship Management Co. based in Weihai City in the eastern province of Shandong. It was heading from Taiwan to Japan carrying 1,400 tonnes of aluminum ore at the time of accident.